Monthly Archives: December 2016

The year-end function and prize giving was held on 2 December at the Magister hall. And what an evening it was. The hall was beautifully decorated with Christmas lights, flowing drapes hanging from the ceiling and even a lovely Christmas tree in the foyer. A flower arrangement (made by the dojo moms) was placed on each of the tables which added to the festive cheer of the evening.

Many, many thanks to the moms and students who spent the entire day breaking their backs and working their fingers to the bone in order to give the hall a magical makeover. A huge thanks also to Pieter for making us a lovely trophy cabinet as well as a stage this year. Solis Ortus is very grateful to have parents who are willing to step up and get involved and contribute towards making our year end function memorable and enjoyable each year. Thank you!

It was a very busy year at Solis Ortus this year. Two very successful club grading’s, 11 successful Shodan grading karate-ka and the first ever Coen Memorial Challenge, are to name but a few of the highlights of the year. During the prize giving, each and every student was recognised for their efforts during the year. Not everyone may have received a medal or a trophy, but each student was awarded a certificate acknowledging either their progress and/or their perseverance and/or their loyalty throughout the year.

Recognition was also given to those students who participated in competitions throughout the year, be they JKA or KSA. Floating trophy’s were handed over to the top achievers in the various categories.

Of course there are also the Solis Ortus awards such as “Most improved Junior” and “Karateka of the Year”. As a Sensei, I am somewhat proud to say that selecting a “winner” for each category becomes more and more difficult each year, as the number of students and the standard of karate at our club increases each year too!! Fortunately, I have fantastic instructors who with their opinions and input, assist me in making these difficult choices.

The complete list of awards and the respective winners will be posted on the web-site shortly. Congratulations to each and every student who achieved success in some form or another this year – hard work and perseverance always pays off!!

Thanks again to each and every student of Solis Ortus for making 2016 a very successful year. May you all have a well-deserved break over the festive season. Travel safe and I look forward to seeing you all in the dojo again on the 9th of January 2017.

“Grading, 26 November. Remember to practice your kata’s at home and good luck for your grading! Oss!!” These were Sensei Eugene and Sempai Lilian’s final words of advice to each class, over the last few weeks or so.

Well grading day, 26 November, has come and gone and all indications are that the students took Sensei’s advice and practiced, practiced, practiced!!

Each and every student, from the young to the ‘no so young’, from the junior belts to the senior belts, gave their best effort on the day! More than that, could not be asked for and the proof is in the grading results! Congratulations to each and every student who passed their grading and have now moved on to the next chapter of their Karate experience. It is important to continue to enjoy your karate and to still “practice your kata’s at home”!!

As we all know, Sensei Eugene runs a tight ship and true to form, grading day ran smoothly and as per the time schedule communicated to all students and parents. This is by no means an easy feat as the various grading groups are becoming larger with each grading.

Thank you to each and every parent and student alike for ensuring that they arrived at the Dojo on time and dressed in the correct grading attire. It was only with the co-operation of our students and parent alike that grading day ran as smoothly and as successfully it did.

A word of thanks too to the Solis Ortus Grading panel. The panel consists of the senior Karateka (black belts) of the club and we appreciate their time and effort spent in helping, guiding and encouraging the students on the day.

To each of Sensei Eugene’s assistant instructors ….. a heartfelt “thank you!” The amount of effort, dedication, attention to detail and patience you put in to preparing the students for their grading does not go unnoticed. Your commitment to each and every class for the sake of the students is highly appreciated! Thank you for ‘giving back’ to the club, and for all your efforts towards molding the youngsters into becoming the club’s future top class seniors!

Just as Sensei is very proud of all his students, each student can stand tall and say that earned their belt by means of hard work, sweat and lots of practice (and sometimes tears too). Solis Ortus is indeed the best club in the province and we have the students to prove it!!